Prowl is a long-standing iOS push API. PushTower is the modern successor — open source, end-to-end encrypted, and the only one that drives Live Activities.
| Feature | PushTower | Prowl |
|---|---|---|
| iOS Live Activities & Dynamic Island | ||
| Native iOS app | ||
| Android app | ||
| Simple HTTP API (no SDK) | ||
| End-to-end encryption | ||
| Self-hostable | ||
| Open source | MIT | |
| Custom notification sounds | 30+ built-in | |
| Scheduling & quiet hours | ||
| Actively developed | ||
| Pricing | Free + from $1.99/mo | Free / paid app |
Comparison reflects each product’s public positioning and may change as the tools evolve. Spotted something out of date? Let us know on GitHub.
Prowl is one of the original “push to your iPhone over an API” apps, with roots in the Growl ecosystem. It exposes a simple HTTP API with priorities and has been a dependable choice for years.
It’s iOS-only, closed source, and cloud-only, and it predates modern iOS features: no Live Activities or Dynamic Island, no end-to-end encryption, and a dated app experience. PushTower keeps the simple-API appeal while bringing it up to today’s iOS.
Yes. PushTower offers the same simple iOS push API plus Live Activities, end-to-end encryption, custom sounds, scheduling, and an open, self-hostable, actively developed stack.
No. Prowl predates Live Activities and the Dynamic Island. PushTower supports both over HTTP.
No. Prowl is closed and cloud-only. PushTower is open source (MIT) and self-hostable.
PushTower is invite-only while we onboard early users. Drop your email and we'll let you know the moment your account is ready.